


sous-vide this love

by kwonjis



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Pining, Romance, chef kun is sexy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-12-13 16:30:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21000719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kwonjis/pseuds/kwonjis
Summary: “i see you’ve met ten’s new beau, not a fan of his i’m assuming?” sicheng says dryly. kun huffs and turns away, grabbing a ladle from somewhere and stirring the pot behind him vigorously.ten deserves to be admired, deserves to have songs written about how exquisite he is. he deserves to be looked at with awe, with reverence. he didn’t deserve the sadness and heartbreak of having his dates turn out to be complete and utter assholes.





	sous-vide this love

**Author's Note:**

> [written for prompt #W110]
> 
> big thanks to the prompter for this wonderful idea, i hope i managed to do it justice ♥
> 
> this was my first time joining any kind of fic fest and it was such a journey for me i hope you all enjoy reading this as much as i enjoyed writing this ♥

**start.**

  
  


“Sicheng, how many minutes for the trout?” Kun calls over his shoulder as he finishes garnishing the plate in front of him.

“30 more seconds and then I’ll finish plating,” Sicheng replies. “Table eleven just called for one more order of scallops.”

“Right, I’ll get on it.”

There’s no place like the kitchen, Kun had always said to himself. He’d managed to find solace in the messy chaos of the restaurant kitchen, managed to get by every night with a heart warmed by the enthusiastic responses of the restaurant’s patrons and with the satisfying fulfillment he felt knowing that he was living the dream he’d always dreamt of.

Life was essentially perfect, a literal dream come true. The opening of  _ pulse _ in the heart of the city had been the crowning moment of Kun’s life. He’s doing what he loves, earning pretty good money out of it and fulfilling his dream all at once. There’s nothing amiss in his life, nothing that could make him feel like there was something else he needed to be happy. 

At least, not until he met Ten.

Ten had been a customer, dining alone and having a good time until Hendery, who had been a new busboy back then, tripped as he passed by Ten’s table and spilled the remnants of the seafood bisque sitting in the bowl he’d been carrying back to the kitchen all over Ten’s front.

Kun had rushed over and apologised profusely, even offered one of the spare shirts he kept in his locker and a dessert on the house to make up for the inconvenience they’d caused Ten. But the man had laughed the whole thing off good naturedly and accepted the spare shirt with the promise of returning it the next day.

The story should have ended there, with Ten returning the shirt the day after before leaving and never returning again. But for some inexplicable reason, Ten kept returning every other week or so to dine at Kun’s restaurant. He’d show up about an hour before closing and order the chef’s special for the week. Once the final orders had been sent out for the night, Kun would find himself drifting to Ten’s table and chatting with the stranger about his meal, about what he enjoyed and if there was anything unsatisfactory about it.

That was how it started, with amicable chatter over food. But over time, it became a routine for them. Ten would show up to the restaurant and stay back to talk to Kun. It was something Kun had never expected would happen. But the Thai man had effortlessly earned himself a place in the chef’s heart. With his exquisite eyes and equally breathtaking smile, Ten had Kun falling for him before Kun even realised what was happening.

It wasn’t until Lucas and Sicheng started encouraging him to ask Ten out that Kun accepted that maybe he had started to catch feelings for his favourite customer.

Looking back, Kun realised he should have acted sooner.

When Kun made up his mind to ask Ten out on a date one night in February, the Thai man had showed up to the restaurant with a date on his arm. The two of them were glowing, happy and gazing at each other with adoration. Kun’s heart shattered and he was determined to throw himself into his work to forget about Ten.

But life, apparently, was hell-bent on not letting Kun forget so easily. Tonight, life sends a painful reminder to Kun in the form of his tall, energetic maître’d who comes skidding into the kitchen and just barely manages to avoid careening into the trolley ladened with various pots of sauces.

“Kun,” Lucas says breathlessly, slamming his hands down on the counter urgently. Kun hardly looks up from where he’s plating the scallops for table eleven and gives a nod in response. “Ten is here again.”

“That’s great,” Kun replies, keeping his eyes fixed on the order he’s finishing up and ignoring the way his heart clenches ever so slightly at the mention of Ten’s name. “Is that all you came here to say? He comes here every week or so remember?”

“Yeah I know,” Lucas says impatiently. “But I think his date isn’t going so well.”

At this, Kun’s hands freeze as he’s wiping sauce off the plate’s rim. “That’s none of our business, Lucas. Ten is a customer here on a date tonight, we shouldn’t be meddling,” He forces his voice to stay even as he says this, though it feels as if he’s trying to convince himself rather than lecture Lucas.

“He looks like he might need a friend, that’s all,” Lucas responds with a shrug. He gently tugs the plate of scallops away from Kun before giving him a smile and walking away. Kun watches as the maître’d retreats out of the kitchen, a million thoughts flying through his head all at once. It was like Lucas’ words had broken a dam in Kun’s head. A dam that Kun had so carefully built up to contain his less-than-platonic feelings towards a man who so clearly didn’t return his feelings in kind. 

“Are you gonna just stand there or you gonna help me clean this place up?” 

Sicheng’s voice snaps Kun out of his thoughts and the older chef forces a smile onto his face as he turns towards his sous chef and best friend. “Sorry, I was just thinking about something.”

“Thinking about whether to go out and talk to Ten?” Sicheng replies, not missing a beat. He hands Kun a damp rag and reaches across the other to tug the empty pots towards himself. “I just took a peek outside, Ten looks like he’s on the verge of falling apart. That Johnny guy must have really broken his heart.”

Ah, yes. 

Johnny.

Kun doesn’t think he could ever forget the way Ten looked at the tall, handsome man. It was filled with delight, adoration, like Johnny had hung the stars in the sky. “Kun, this is Johnny,” Ten had sounded breathless in his excitement, it reminded Kun of a teenager introducing their crush to their friends. Johnny had been all warm smiles and shook Kun’s hand politely. It took almost all of Kun’s strength to keep the smile he had plastered on his face. Any plans he had to ask Ten on a date that night had been smacked down by the appearance of Johnny, who had given Kun a friendly look.

“Pleasure to meet you,” Johnny had said. Ten had all but beamed at the two of them while Kun grimaced throughout the entire exchange. 

After that encounter, Kun had shut himself in the kitchen. He threw himself into his work, hoping to use cooking as a way to alleviate the ache in his heart. He hadn’t felt the need to exchange more than a few words at a time with Ten whenever the latter decided to visit the restaurant on his own. 

Distance, Kun had decided then, was important to maintain if he wanted to move on from Ten.

“You think I should go see if he’s okay?” Kun coughs out, keeping his gaze on the counter. Sicheng sets a hand on his shoulder and squeezes it reassuringly. 

“Do whatever you need to do,” Sicheng says kindly. The door to the kitchen opens and Lucas reappears looking a little guilty. He looks at Kun and Sicheng and bites his lip.

“I know I shouldn’t have been spying on them but Johnny just paid for dinner and left Ten at the table,” Lucas relays. Kun feels a twinge of pity in his chest at this and feels his resolve crumble completely.

_ Distance be damned. _

“I’ll… I’ll come out in a bit,” Kun says slowly. He gives Lucas a small, reassuring smile. “Thank you, Lucas. 

The taller boy gives him a grin and nods his head before heading back out.

Sicheng nudges Kun a little and gestures towards the direction of the staff room with his head. “I can take care of all this, go get changed before you talk to Ten. You reek.”

As Kun pulls a fresh shirt over his head moments later, it suddenly hits him that he doesn’t know what he’s going to say to Ten. He feels his heart flutter nervously, feels his nerves thrumming as he spritzes himself with enough cologne to mask the myriad of scents that clung to him like a cloud. One of the downsides of working in a kitchen all day.

Ten had always,  _ always _ , been able to easily disarm Kun. Always somehow rendered Kun speechless, whether it was from the way he laughed or from a witty quip he’d throw at Kun. Between the two of them, Ten had always been so much more composed than Kun. 

But now, as Kun gazes at Ten through the kitchen windows, Ten looks like the world had been yanked out from under him. He sits forlornly at his table, eyes staring at the drained wine glass in front of him. The spark of happiness in his eyes that Kun had seen when Ten was with Johnny had disappeared, taken from him the moment Johnny walked away 

“Refill?” Kun asks gently, holding out a bottle of wine with one hand and an empty glass for himself in the other. Ten looks up at Kun, gaze slightly unfocused and eyes shining with unshed tears. It takes a while until Ten realises who he’s looking at before he gasps and wipes at his eyes hastily.

“Sure,” Ten says, giving Kun a crooked smile and gesturing for him to sit in the vacant seat across him. Kun pours some wine into Ten’s glass before pouring some for himself. “Sorry, I know I probably shouldn’t be taking up space.”

“It’s alright, take all the time you need,” Kun says sincerely. He hesitates a bit before adding, “If you want to talk, I’m here to listen.”

Ten shoots him a grateful smile before drinking from his glass. He fiddles with the stem of his glass before sighing. “Johnny broke up with me. He said he still had feelings for his ex and he wanted to be honest about it,” Ten says, voice wavering a little. He laughs bitterly and shakes his head. “I can’t even be upset about it because I had a feeling right from the start that I was just a rebound. I wanted to hope I was wrong, you know? God, I’m such an idiot.”

“I don’t think you’re an idiot,” Kun says quietly. He pours more wine for himself and sets the bottle down. “I think you were being brave.”

“Yeah? Well, look where that got me,” Ten says sourly. Silence settles over them. Kun glances around the restaurant and watches Xiaojun and Yangyang clearing the rest of the tables. Xiaojun catches Kun’s eyes and gives him a small, knowing smile before jerking his head slightly towards Ten’s direction. Kun rolls his eyes but gives him a fond smile anyways. “I forgot how adorable your kids are.” Ten comments, a small smile tugging at his lips as he watches the exchange.

“They drive me up the wall sometimes,” Kun admits. He glances back to where Xiaojun and Yangyang have started a contest to see who could carry the most plates in their arms. “Hey! If you break any of those I’m docking your salaries.”

Ten lets out a laugh, a genuine and warm one that makes Kun’s heartbeat speed up just ever so slightly. “I think I’ll get going now, thanks for this.” He gestures to the wine and glasses and gives Kun a small, grateful smile. “I still feel like shit but you kind of helped me feel a little less shitty. So thanks.”

Kun swallows the lump in his throat and nods. “Anytime. You’re always welcome here you know that, right?”

“I know,” Ten says softly. “Walk me out? Or do you need to help close?”

Even if Sicheng did need his help, Kun decides to walk Ten to the bus stop anyways. They walk quietly, letting the night breeze sweep by them and the sounds of cars and people passing by fill in the silence between them. It’s comfortable though, and Kun knows that Ten needs time to himself to process everything that had happened tonight.

“Ten,” Kun starts. They’re sitting at the bus stop now. Ten’s bus should be arriving any minute now and Kun suddenly feels the need to say something,  _ anything _ as he looks at Ten’s slumped shoulders and sad eyes. “You’ll find someone else. Someone who’ll love you with all their heart. Someone better than Johnny.”

Panic grips Kun’s heart briefly as Ten meets his eyes without saying a word. He’s said the wrong thing hasn’t he, maybe Kun should have kept his damn mouth shut and just let Ten be. But as Ten gives him a small, sad smile, all the panic in his chest dissipates. 

“I hope so.”

There’s a pause there, a slight hesitation and for a moment Kun feels like Ten wants to say something. But before either of them could say anything else, a bus pulls up at their stop. Ten glances at the bus and then back at Kun. He smiles at him once more before giving his shoulder a light squeeze. “I’ll see you around, Kun. Thanks again, for tonight.” 

When Kun returns to the restaurant a while later, he’s immediately accosted by Sicheng who grabs him by the arm and drags him into their shared office. “Well? Any progress?” He demands. Kun tugs his arm out of Sicheng’s grasp and shakes his head. 

“The guy just had his heart broken, he’s gonna need some space,” Kun says firmly. Sicheng rolls his eyes and sits himself down on the edge of the tiny desk behind him. 

“But-”

“Sicheng,” Kun says sharply. His best friend looks like he wants to argue but decides against it. “I know you’re trying to help me and encourage me but the timing isn’t right yet.”

“Then when  _ will _ it be right? You’ve missed your chance once, you might not get another one again.” 

  
  


㊗

  
  


If you asked Kun to describe himself, ‘brave’ was probably not one of the words he would use. It wouldn’t even be a term other people would use to describe him. Smart. Diligent. Kind. Patient. Stubborn, even.  _ Those _ were words people often preferred to use. But ‘brave’? Not quite.

Kun  _ knew _ how frustrated Sicheng was with him. Following his breakup with Johnny, Ten had begun showing up like clockwork once again. He’d greet them all with that sweet, sweet smile just before the last orders came in and waited for Kun to finish his duties so they could chat the way they had done so many times before. Every night that Ten showed up, Kun was ready with a bottle of Ten’s favourite wine and a sampler of whatever new dessert or dish they were working on. And every single night, Kun would fail to express the feelings he held so close to his heart.

“You’re absolutely hopeless,” Sicheng remarks one night when Kun returns from walking Ten to the bus stop looking particularly put out. There had been a plan made for Kun to ask Ten out to see the newest thriller but all thoughts of  _ that _ plan had flown out the window when Ten had fleetingly hugged Kun goodbye before hopping on the bus. Kun had shrugged Sicheng and his disappointed stare off, grumbling about how Sicheng would never understand.

“Next time,” Kun had muttered resolutely under his breath that night as he washed his face and stared at his complexion in the mirror. “I swear, I’ll do it next time.”

_ Brave _ . Kun could do that.

But when Ten walks into the restaurant a week later with a new guy at his side, Kun feels any semblance of bravado he’d built up throughout the day crumble. In its place was an ugly, stabbing feeling of jealousy and hurt that reared its head and hissed in the back of Kun’s mind as he stared down Ten’s new date.

“Kun, this is Taeyong. Taeyong, Kun”

Taeyong is, undoubtedly, beautiful. Mesmerising with his big eyes, charming smile and gentle voice that greets Kun almost melodically. It’s like Kun is meeting a fucking fae or some kind of otherworldly deity that had decided to grace the world with his ethereal presence. Kun bites his cheek and forces a smile out as he shakes hand with the pink haired man.  _ Pink haired. _ It was actually kind of ridiculous that Taeyong could pull off that kind of hair colour.

“It’s lovely to meet you,” Taeyong says earnestly. It’s hard for Kun to feel any sense of dislike towards the other man when he’s gazing at Kun with nothing but genuine pleasantness. There’s nothing insincere about the way he smiles at him either and Kun feels any traces of immediate dislike he might have had get replaced with mild shame instead.

“Likewise,” Kun barely manages to get out. Ten beams at the exchange, the smile lighting up his face and sending Kun’s heart into somersaults. 

“Ten told me you’re the chef here,” Taeyong continues, looking a little starry eyed. Kun forces himself to look at Taeyong instead of Ten as he responds.

“Yep, I’ve been running this place for a few years now,” Kun replies. “It was tough at first but I’d say all the hard work is worth it.”

“I mean yeah,” Taeyong says, looking around the restaurant with wonder before shooting Kun a brilliant smile. “It’s a lovely place, you must be proud of it.”

“I am,” Kun says, feeling a genuine smile break out across his face. “Anyways, I think I should get back to the kitchen. Hendery,” He catches the waiter by the elbow and gestures to Ten and Taeyong with a little jerk of his head. “Could you please show them to their seats?”

Hendery looks at Taeyong and then Ten and then does a double take and gapes at Taeyong again, jaw slightly slack. Kun clears his throat and Hendery snaps out of whatever trance he had fallen into and visibly straightens up. “Ah yes, sorry. Right this way,” Hendery says apologetically. 

Ten gives Kun one more smile before reaching for Taeyong’s hand and following Hendery to their table. Kun watches them leave with a bitter feeling settling in the middle of his chest. Ten looks happy, looks absolutely thrilled to have Taeyong by his side. Who wouldn’t? Taeyong was  _ gorgeous _ and it only made sense that Ten would pick someone like him over Kun. Taeyong looks like he was sculpted by  _ gods _ . Kun had never thought of himself as ugly but he didn’t really think he was exceptionally good looking either. Just average. 

Boring.

If Kun had to be honest with himself, he’d probably consider going after Taeyong himself if he wasn’t so hopelessly in love with Ten. 

And if Ten hadn’t brought him as his date.

“I can hear you thinking,” Sicheng calls over his shoulder as he expertly minces up several scallions. “Care to share?”

Kun sighs and sets the ladle in his hand down. He turns around and crosses his arms across his chest. “It’s just… I was going to try confess to Ten tonight.” 

Sicheng puts his knife down and looks at Kun sympathetically. “Oh Kun,” He says softly.

“He looks like a goddamn model, no, a fucking  _ god _ . He looks like he could be Aphrodite’s son.” Kun says frustratedly. “And he’s so  _ nice _ . I can’t even hate the guy, Sicheng. It’s awful,  _ I’m _ awful.” 

“Whoa, whoa,” Sicheng rushes over and takes Kun’s hands in his. “Kun, you need to stop. You’re  _ not _ awful. You’ve got to stop thinking so badly of yourself, I know you’re doing that thing where you’re comparing yourself and putting yourself down.”

“So?” Kun mutters. He feels the fight leave him and he slumps back against the counter. “I’ve missed my chance, Sicheng. You were right. I’m not gonna get another chance. I should just move on, right?”

Sicheng sighs but tightens his grip on Kun’s hands. “Do you remember when I thought I had blown my chances with Jaehyun when we were in college? You found me puking my guts out over a toilet bowl because I drank myself blind after seeing him flirting with some other guy. Do you remember what you told me then?”

Kun  _ does _ remember that night. He remembers seeing the heartbreak in his best friend’s eyes as he sobbed in their shared bathroom at 3am. “‘Don’t give up before you’ve even tried.’ That’s what I told you,” Kun recalls. Sicheng smiles at him and squeezes his hand before letting them go. 

“You know that’s kind of become my life motto now? I think you need to follow your own advice.”

“But he’s dating Taeyong! I’m not a homewrecker,” Kun cries out exasperatedly. 

“It’s their  _ first _ date, Kun. They’re just getting to know each other,” Sicheng deadpans.

“And how do you know this?” Kun challenges.

“Hendery told me,” Sicheng replies smugly. “He overheard Taeyong praising Ten’s choice for their first date.”

Kun stays silent as he absorbs this information. “No,” He says, waving his hand dismissively and getting back to stirring the soup pot. “I’m sure Taeyong’s a nice guy and Ten will be happy with him.”

But when Hendery comes bustling into the kitchen some time later with a receipt with a message from Taeyong to Kun, the chef finds himself slack-jawed as he listens to the waiter recount everything that had happened.

“Ten didn’t seem too bugged by it,” Hendery says with a shrug. “Apparently Taeyong is a huge fan of yours. Didn’t have the guts to come visit your restaurant alone though, poor guy. He didn’t come off as the shy type but I guess everyone has a weakness.”

“A-A fan?” Kun says faintly. This had to be some kind of cruel joke. It’s too unbelievable for him to wrap his head around. “What about Ten? Where is he now? Did he go off with Taeyong?”

Hendery shakes his head. “He’s still there. I think he’s waiting for you again.”

So Kun hides in the kitchen until the last customer leaves. Sicheng practically shoves him out the door and into the dining area and Kun just barely catches himself just before he can drop the bottle of wine and glasses in his arms.

Ten is still sitting in the same place he’d been sitting in with Taeyong. A smile graces his features when he spots Kun stumble in. “I’m guessing you heard,” Ten says once Kun settles into the seat across him. Kun gives a strained cough, not really wanting to meet the other’s eyes out of embarrassment.

“I’m sorry,” Kun manages to get out. Ten shakes his head and looks at Kun reassuringly.

“Nothing to apologise for. It’s on him. And I know you think he’s an asshole but he actually had no idea we’d be eating here tonight. I wanted to surprise him but I guess the tables turned on me in the end.” There’s no bitterness in Ten’s words as he says this but Kun still sees the glint of disappointment in his eyes, sees the way the other’s shoulders slump ever so slightly.

“Need a drink? Or have you had enough for tonight?” Kun offers as he reaches into his pocket to take out a corkscrew. Ten smiles.

“I could use another glass or two,” He says. 

Several glasses later, the two start feeling a little lighter, a little more loose-lipped. While Kun pours out the rest of the wine between their two glasses, Ten suddenly pipes up with the question, “Why don’t you ever date?”

Kun nearly drops the bottle in his shock but manages to catch himself at the last second. He clears his throat before looking at Ten and answering, “I’m too busy. I can’t be away from the restaurant for more than one day.”

Ten frowns, not satisfied with the answer. “But Sicheng is just as busy as you but he manages to find time for Jaehyun.”

“Yeah well, that’s because they’ve been dating since university,” Kun says before taking a sip from his glass. “They’re practically married, it’s totally different.”

“But don’t you get lonely?” Ten presses. A silence falls over them as Kun struggles to piece together an answer to that question. 

_ I do. I feel loneliest when I don’t see you. _

Kun laughs and shrugs a little. “Not really, I’ve got my dogs,” He says teasingly. Ten gives him an exasperated look and Kun continues. “I mean, I guess I haven’t found the right person.”

The expression that crosses Ten’s face isn’t one that Kun is familiar with. There’s a bit of what Kun thinks is pity and sadness in his eyes but it disappears as Ten downs the rest of his glass. 

_ Odd _ .

  
  


㊗

  
  


Despite his recent disastrous dates, Ten was still determined to keep trying his luck with love. 

He bounds into the restaurant on a Sunday morning before opening hours and shows Kun all the dating apps he’d downloaded onto his phone.

“I’m sure I’ll find someone on here,” He had said with fierce resolution.

But it seemed, however, that Ten’s streak of bad dates had just begun.

Following Taeyong, Kun sees Ten entering his restaurant two weeks later with another handsome man in arm. He had a gummy smile and he seemed at the time like a very nice man. Kun had thought that he kind of looked like a bunny but kept that thought to himself. He was charming and seemed to make Ten laugh, according to Hendery’s surreptitious observations from that evening. Kun had almost been ready to resign himself to the fact that maybe this time Ten had found someone that wouldn’t turn out to be another disappointing date.

To his utter shock (and mild relief), the night had ended with Ten’s date furiously storming out of the restaurant after an hour of heated debate and discussion that had caused numerous disruptions throughout dinner. Lucas had later told Kun that Ten and Doyoung, the aforementioned date of the evening, hadn’t stopped arguing ever since they both discovered that they had graduated from rival universities and Doyoung’s friend had been the one to break Ten’s best friend’s leg during a particularly dirty football match.

“I’m all for standing up for your friends but if your friend  _ intentionally _ aimed a kick hard enough to break someone’s leg then I think it's only right that you call them out for behaving like a scumbag instead of defending them when you  _ know _ they were in the wrong."

Ten had been seething that evening and had taken almost an extra hour after closing time to rant to Kun about how ridiculously blind people were sometimes.

The irony of the situation doesn't pass Kun by at all. Sicheng had only laughed at him when Kun told him about what had transpired when they started prep work the day after.

“You’re both giving me premature gray hairs,” Sicheng laments. Kun chooses to ignore that comment. 

But the unending onslaught of horrible dates has Kun getting worried for Ten. He’s come in several times with different variations of what Kun would describe as a somewhat vain and self-assured business man but what Sicheng would describe as an arrogant, bigoted, trust fund baby. Kun didn’t like the way they looked at Ten, like he was just another notch on their bedpost or another conquest to be won.

Ten deserves to be admired, deserves to have songs written about how exquisite he is. He deserves to have someone who would listen to him ramble on about his latest obsessions, about the things he’s learned from the many books he’d borrow from the library every week. He deserves to be looked at with awe, with reverence. He didn’t deserve to be looked at like a piece of meat, didn’t deserve the sadness and heartbreak of having his dates turn out to be complete and utter assholes.

It broke Kun’s heart to see Ten like this. It hurt that Kun couldn’t do anything about it because it seemed like Ten was determined to keep trying and trying until he found the one person that could make him happy. 

And that was all that mattered to Kun. That Ten was happy.

Whether it was with Kun or with someone else.

“ _ Ge _ , why don’t  _ you _ try to make him happy? I know you’d be good for him,” Yangyang had said once after Ten had left the restaurant following another awful date. 

“He doesn’t see me like that,” Kun had insisted. Yangyang and the others had groaned at this.

“Just you wait,” Xiaojun had said sagely. “All this pining is gonna blow up in your face one day.”

And scarily enough, it does happen. It happens on the day that Ten looks the happiest that Kun had seen him be in ages. And the cause of that happiness? Probably the jaw-droppingly handsome Adonis of a man that Ten brings to the restaurant days later.

Kun learns that his name is Jiseok and is all smiles and pleasantries until Ten says Kun’s name as he introduces the two of them. The dislike on the other man’s face is apparent, poorly hidden as he gazes at Kun with sharp eyes. A chill runs down Kun’s spine as he grasps the other’s hand to shake it.

“Ten’s told me a lot about you,” Jiseok says. Kun frowns a little as he notes the way Jiseok seems to be sizing him up, looking him up and down with defiance glinting in his eyes as he stares Kun down. The grip that Jiseok has on his hand tightens slightly as Kun glances at Ten with a smile.

“Hope it’s been nothing but good things,” He says with a half-laugh. Ten rolls his eyes playfully and Kun sees Jiseok’s eyes narrow every so slightly.  _ Oh. _

“Of course, Kunkun. No need to get worried.” Ten grins and Kun’s heart all but leaps out of his chest at the nickname.  _ Kunkun _ .

Kun releases Jiseok’s hand and steps away. He gives the couple what he hopes looks like an apologetic look before saying, “Well, I’ve got to get back to the kitchen. I hope you both have a wonderful evening tonight.” Ten beams and loops his arm with Jiseok’s, a gesture that makes Kun feel like a knife is twisting up his insides.

“It was wonderful to meet you,” Jiseok simpers, side-eyeing Kun as he passes and slipping his arm around Ten’s waist instead. Kun stares after them, suddenly overcome with the urge to grab that bastard’s arm and rip it away from Ten.

Kun is  _ still _ stewing in rage when Sicheng finds him in the kitchen later. Sicheng watches with equal parts amusement and concern as Kun furiously minces a head of garlic before tossing, no,  _ throwing _ it into a pan without so much as a glance. “I see you’ve met Ten’s new beau, not a fan of his I’m assuming?” Sicheng says dryly. Kun huffs and turns away, grabbing a ladle from somewhere and stirring the pot behind him vigorously.

“He’s alright,” Kun says, trying not to sound bitter but failing miserably. Sicheng rolls his eyes and takes Kun’s wrist, stopping his stirring movements abruptly. Kun gives Sicheng an irritated look but the younger holds his gaze steady.

“I don’t know, seems like the jealous type to me. I saw the way he was eyeing you earlier, I’m surprised Ten didn’t notice it,” Sicheng replies with a shrug.

“There’s a lot that Ten doesn’t notice,” Kun immediately regrets his words and closes his eyes before sighing. “Sorry, that wasn’t a very nice thing to say.”

“Maybe he would notice your feelings if you, I don’t know,  _ say  _ something instead of just behaving like a Very Good Friend,” Sicheng says with another eye roll. Kun watches as Sicheng turns back his own station and allows himself to stew in his thoughts a little.

It  _ was _ a bit presumptuous of Kun to expect Ten to have caught onto his burgeoning feelings. Kun knows this but still refuses to do anything about it. Sicheng calls him an idiot but Kun prefers the word ‘cautious’.

Opening up his heart for rejection and pain isn’t something Kun is particularly keen on doing.

But as hard as he tries to focus on his duties in the kitchen, he keeps finding his thoughts straying to how badly he wanted to march up to Ten’s date and tell him how he should keep his filthy hands off Ten.

"I should go see how they're doing," Kun blurts out. Sicheng nearly drops the pan he's holding and stares at Kun. 

"Who is this 'they' you're referring to?" Sicheng asks, keeping his eyes trained on the sauce he's reducing. Kun wipes his hands on his apron and switches the stove off.

"Ten and his date."

"Why?"

"I just want to make sure everything is going okay," Kun says defensively. "You know, I want Ten to have one good date."

Sicheng sighs tiredly but waves Kun away. "Do it quick then, we've got orders coming in quick."

It's during times like these that Kun finds himself feeling immensely grateful for Sicheng. There's no one else he would have trusted in the world to be his business partner and second in command.

"I owe you for this," Kun calls over his shoulder as he removes his apron on his way out of the kitchen.

"Owe me if you actually make progress with Ten," Sicheng calls back shrewdly. Kun winces at the verbal jab but chooses to focus on collecting his thoughts as he approaches Ten and Jiseok's table. Ten is leaning forward, chattering happily and smiling as he gazes fondly at Jiseok. The sight of it makes Kun’s stomach churn unpleasantly and he wills himself to shove that feeling aside as he reaches the pair.

“Are you enjoying your meal so far,” Kun asks, putting a smile that he hopes looks sincere enough. Ten beams at him and nods while Jiseok is looking at Kun with a sour expression on his face.

“It was absolutely wonderful,” Ten gushes. “You never disappoi-”

“Do you come to all your guests’ tables and check in on them like this?” Jiseok cuts in, irritation bleeding into his tone. “Or do you just do this to the ones you find attractive?”

Kun finds his words die in his throat as he looks between Jiseok and Ten, legs rooted to the spot and unable to run like he wants to. Ten is staring at Jiseok in disbelief and shock. Judging by Ten’s red ears Kun can tell that he’s trying his best to avoid looking at him.

“Um,” Kun says, feeling his face heat up from embarrassment. He avoids looking in Ten’s direction and chooses to look at Jiseok instead. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be a bother.”

Jiseok scoffs as he leans back in his seat. He gestures between Ten and Kun as he says, “No, no, by all means keep flirting with my date while I finish off the rest of the meal by myself.”

“Jiseok,” Ten says sharply. Kun wants to ground to swallow him whole, wants to run away and disappear. He regrets even leaving the kitchen in the first place, he should have just stayed there and minded his own business instead of letting his jealousy and curiousity get the better of him.

“I apologise for interrupting,” Kun’s voice is tight as he says this. He bows deeply and feels the back of his neck burning in embarrassment and shame. When he straightens up again he looks at Jiseok straight in the eye and says, “Dinner is on the house, I hope you can forgive me for overstepping boundaries. I’ll leave you to it then, if you’ll excuse me.”

Ten’s voice calls out for him as Kun turns around and walks back to the kitchen but the chef refuses to look back. He doesn’t think he can handle looking at Ten, not when he feels like his heart is about to crack into a million pieces.

Sicheng doesn’t say a word when Kun enters the kitchen. He can feel Sicheng shooting him worried looks but Kun finds it difficult to say anything other than calling out orders and instructions. It’s funny how Kun manages to find peace amongst the chaos in the kitchen, how he just manages to hold himself together until the very last order is served. 

“I’ll get Lucas to close up with me,” Sicheng says, stopping Kun on his way to the back office. “Go home. I know you’d rather be anywhere else but here right now.” 

The words sting and burrows its way under Kun’s skin and he barely manages to force out a nod before he turns around and heads to the back room. 

"Stupid," Kun mutters, ripping off his apron and throwing it into his locker. It bounces off his bag and falls miserably onto the floor and Kun sighs as he bends back down to pick it up.

"Tell me about it."

Kun jerks at the voice, hitting his head on his locker shelf in the process before cursing loudly and stepping backwards. He turns around and sees Ten leaning against the wall behind him with his arms crossed. 

"How did you-"

"Hendery let me in," Ten said, pushing off from the wall and sitting down on the little couch that Lucas had  _ insisted  _ on getting for the room. "He said you'd probably try to sneak out and that I would probably be able to catch you here."

"Oh," Kun says lamely. He makes a mental note to remind everyone about personal boundaries at their next team meeting. 

"I'm not going to bite, you know," Ten says softly. He gestures to the space next to him and looks at Kun meaningfully. "I just want to talk."

Talking was probably the last thing Kun wanted to do right now. But he never could say no to Ten. "Okay," Kin says quietly. As he sits down on the old couch, his knees bump against Ten's and he murmurs a quick apology. 

"Look, I just wanted to apologise for what Jiseok said during dinner earlier," Ten starts. "I think he was misreading the situation and reacted a little too harshly."

"You don't need to apologise for him," Kun says bluntly. He looks at Ten as he continues, "He acted like a dick, you didn't do anything wrong.  _ He _ should be apologising, not you."

"He's not a dick," There's a sharpness to Ten's voice now and it catches Kun by surprise. "You don't even know him, he's actually a really nice-"

"Why are you defending him? You hardly know him!" Kun says, confused. Ten frowns and shifts in his seat to face Kun.

"Maybe I  _ want _ to get to know him better," Ten's voice is getting louder and he stares at Kun with defiance in his eyes. "Maybe I want to believe that things could work out between Jiseok and I this time. At least I'm giving him a chance. At least I'm still trying."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kun asks quietly. A flicker of emotion dances in Ten's eyes for a fleeting moment before he steels himself and straightens up in his seat.

"It's tiring to put your heart out on a silver platter only to have it thrown back in your face like it didn't take every bit of courage you have to put it out there in the first place," Ten's voice is soft and he's staring at his lap where his hands are clasped together. "I'm starting to think that maybe  _ I'm _ the reason why all my dates have been going so horribly. Is it so bad of me to want to believe that maybe Jiseok could be the one for me? Is it bad for me to want to try?"

"Ten," Kun starts but the other shakes his head.

"Don't, please. I don't need pity. I know you’re just gonna tell me that same line about how I’ll find the right person someday and then I’m gonna end up wondering why that person couldn’t be you.”

_ Wait. _

Ten’s words hit Kun with full force and he finds himself feeling like he can’t breathe, can’t think or feel anything else except for the fact that maybe, just  _ maybe _ , Ten likes or at least liked him. “What did you just say?” Kun just manages to get this out and he looks at Ten while his heart feels like it’s about to jump right out of his chest. Ten is looking away from Kun but the latter sees his ears turning pink as he fidgets with his hands.

“I know you’re a bit clueless but I know you’re not deaf,” Ten says jokingly. He looks at Kun and the chef feels overwhelmed at the sight of all the emotions swimming in Ten’s eyes. “I like you, dumbass. But I know you don’t like me back that way and it’s cool. It’s fine. Friends first, right?”

A million thoughts flood Kun’s mind, the most prominent one being how Kun wants nothing more than to lean over and kiss the doubt right out of Ten. But that would be inappropriate given the current mood that had settled over them so Kun chooses instead to reach over and take one of Ten’s hands into his own.

“If you had told me this months ago, I would have given you the best date of your life and you would never have had to endure all those shitty dates,” Kun says, squeezing Ten’s hand lightly. “You have no idea how badly I’ve been wishing that  _ I _ could have been those guys.”

Ten is looking at Kun now, eyes wide with surprise. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

“I was going to,” Kun says. “I wanted to so badly. I’d made up my mind to confess one night until you came in with Johnny on your arm.”

“Oh,” Ten says, cheeks turning pink at the memory. “So you’re telling me I kind of blew it?”

Kun laughs and moves closer to Ten. “I kind of blew it too. Sicheng kept calling me hopeless for not having the guts to confess.” Ten smiles, a beautiful genuine smile that takes Kun’s breath away.

“Well, how about we both try again?” Ten says, sliding his hand out of Kun’s grasp. Kun watches with confusion as Ten gets up from the couch and moves to stand in front of him. He extends a hand out to Kun and smiles. "Hi, I really like you and I was wondering if you want to go out for dinner next week?"

Kun looks up into Ten's earnest eyes and takes his outstretched hand. He allows Ten to pull him to his feet and he stumbles a little into Ten. The other's hands rests on his hip instinctively, steadying him. 

"Hi," Kun breathes. They're only a few inches apart and he can see the way Ten's eyes dart down ever so quickly to his lips. "I really like you too and I'd love to go out with you next week." He feels Ten's grip on him tighten slightly and he grins.

"Never thought I'd hear you say this," Ten says, a smile tugging on his lips. Kun leans in and closes the gap between their lips, relishing the way Ten sighs contentedly into the kiss. He holds Ten tenderly, holding him closely like he never wanted to let him go.

"Guess we're gonna have to put up some new ground rules for this place."

At the sound of Lucas' voice, the two of them jump apart, though Kun's hands linger on Ten's waist. Lucas is smirking at them knowingly and nods as he reaches for a set of keys hanging by the door. "Don't stop on my account, I'll be out of here real quick."

Lucas shoots Kun a wink before he slips out the door again and Kun gets the the nasty feeling that he's gonna get grilled by everyone else tomorrow morning. Ten lets out a laugh once the door shuts and he collapses back down onto the couch.

"I feel like I'm in a dream right now," He says breathlessly. He looks up happily at Kun, who joins him on the couch once more. "Please tell me I'm not dreaming."

Kun leans over and kisses Ten's cheek swiftly.

"You're not dreaming. Not at all."

  
  


**end.**

  
  
  
  
  



End file.
